THE HAGUE - Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten are struggling with "big and stubborn problems in a wide range of policy areas," said State Secretary Van Huffelen (Kingdom Relations) in a response to interparliamentary kingdom relationships held in March on Sint Maarten.
The State Secretary says that she has taken note of the meeting between the members of the parliaments in the Kingdom with appreciation. “Just like the interparliamentary consultation, I attach great importance to mutual contact.”
Van Huffelen says that she recently made working visits to the Caribbean countries and the Caribbean Netherlands. In addition to meeting government officials, she was able to listen to the dreams and worries of the residents of the countries by discussing with business owners, volunteers and social organizations, among others. “I saw a lot of ambition among the residents of the countries to take on the challenges and to give direction to their future. This makes me optimistic that the countries, with the involvement of the Netherlands, will take the necessary steps to tackle the problems and to take advantage of the numerous opportunities,” says Van Huffelen.